Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Jelly Report

I dropped in to the first Margate Jelly Groupsmall business forum at the Westgate pavillion this morning and enjoyed a chat and a cup of coffee, plugged into the pavillion's public WiFi network. If you happen to run a small business and have an interest in new technology and how to use it, do drop into the next one, as I'm sure you will leave with some useful ideas.This had me thinking that from experience, Thanet does produce some interesting small businesses as well as interesting people too and that we too frequently dwell on the negative aspects of the island rather than celebrating the positive outcomes of living here.

As a small example, this week and with my other business hat on, I've been in conversation with a young Thanetian who became an SAS officer and having recently left 'The Regiment', has started a private military consultancy. This reminds me too of a friend who became a nuclear submarine commander and another who pursued a successful career with Intel. These are very difficult times for local young people with 14% unemployment in that category but the three I mention may be unusual but, illustrate that there is still every reason to follow one's dreams even if it means leaving Thanet to achieve them.

Tomorrow night, it's a full council meeting and the vexing matter of Manston Airport is on the agenda and I have a question to ask of Clive Hart on the subject. Of equal interest to many onlookers here perhaps are several other questions, among them, the problem of seaweed now under the control of Cllr Poole and a more searching question being asked of portfolio holder, Cllr Michelle Fenner, on the role of our new council 'Diversity Champion' John Worrow. 'The Campaigner' and the 'constitutional authority for appointing him without an open and transparent process and in the absence of any formal training or experience for the role?

Possible answers to these and other puzzles on the back of a postage stamp please!

I have told my daughters, 13 and 16, that they can become anything they want. The problem for anyone of that age is the moment you take on a financial or personal commitment is the moment one restricts their options. To anyone of 17 / 18 thinking about buying a car, renting a room, or hanging on to a girlfriend / boyfriend who at that age you'll probably split from anyway later on, forget it. Get yourself established on the first ladder rung in whatever it is you want to follow and deal with the rest later on. I have seen too many people's potential stifled by rubbish commitments and 20 years down the line they are still running stuff through the till at Wilkinson’s, they don’t develop. if that is what you want....great.

8:50 AM hits the nail right on the head and just how many young people screw their lives up before they have barely started. Also Simon has a point about moving away to start to fulfil those dreams.

This is where my generation were so lucky with National Service. Most of us got a 'dear John' from Thanet girlfriends within weeks of leaving home and were thus freed from premature commitments. Then we saw life outside Thanet and the opportunities in the bigger world. I know an ex-RAF school chum who ran a successful fish and chip shop on Penang Island, another became a chief constable after service as a redcap and a third became one of the country's leading experts on locks and safes.They would probably have had none of these opportunities without being called up in the first place.